WARNING!

DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL UNTIL A BATTLE PLAN HAS BEEN DRAWN UP.

Nationalist Chinese Forces

This is part of a rare Motorised Task Force deployed facing north into the Gobi Desert to guard against Communist outflanking forces. General Orders are for all units to delay any Communist forces expected from the north and north-east, then retire to trenches around the border post, then retire by platoons southwards if pressed.

Intelligence reports indicate that only mobile Communist forces could go this far from Peking, and the only mobile force they have are cavalry regiments (some Bactrian camels!), a few WW2 ex-Japanese tanks and perhaps some motorised infantry. Having been extravagantly equipped (by Chinese standards) with recently arrived American equipment, the Task Force Commander is confident of being able hold any ChiCom cavalry forces!

Nationalist Chinese Task Force HQ: 4 rifle squads, 4 trucks, 2 jeeps.
2 Motorised Companies: Company HQ: 2 rifle squads, 1 truck, 1 jeep
3 platoons: 4 (9 men) rifle squads, 2 trucks, 3 BAR, 1 x 2.36" rocket launcher
1 platoon: 2 x MMG, 2 x 60mm M2 mortars, 2 trucks
1 battery: 4 x 81mm M1 mortars, assigned FC
1 A/T platoon: 4 x 57mm M1, 4 trucks, 1 jeep, 1 BAR
1 battery: 4 x 105mm M101 howitzers, in dug outs (no HEAT).

There are five 300m x 50m east-west thin density minefields, three in one long line along D/E-4 to D/E-6 (none in the wadi). The other two are in D3-D4 along the bottom of the long hill's north edge.

Deployed behind the ridge in F5 is one infantry platoon of A Company, with 2 trucks. Orders are to report any movements and then retire to the Task Force HQ in the border post via the E5 wadi.

On hill D3 is deployed the rest of A Company with 2 of the 57mm A/T guns. All transport just south of the hill.

B Company is deployed as follows: Company HQ and 1 platoon on hill D6 with 1 x 57mm A/T gun. 1 platoon on hill D-4/5 with the 4th 57mm and 2 x MMGs. The third platoon in reserve with 60mm mortars on ridge B5.

The Task Force HQ and the 4 x 105mm are in B4, in dug outs facing in all directions around the outpost. Chinese forces are CT4 (average morale, poor training).

Notes.

It is fair to say that the Soviet forces will win, but this is effectively a delaying action. The following victory points system is suggested. Based on your rules and table length, calculate how many moves it would take for a T34 going flat out cross-country to cross the table. This may work out at say 8 moves.

Add 2. The Soviets start with this many victory points, the Chinese with none. For every move above this number that the Soviets are delayed give 1 victory point to the Chinese. Also for every Soviet platoon that is destroyed or forced to retreat, add 1 victory point to the Chinese. Thus in the example, the Soviets have 10 Victory Points. If they do not neutralize the border post (i.e. Chinese there are pinned or retiring) until move 14 and lose 2 infantry platoons and 1 tank platoon doing it, then the Chinese have 7 victory points. If the Chinese achieve greater points then they have delayed the "MPVA" long enough for the Americans to find out and threaten to do something about it with lots of planes.

Map

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